The Selfish Quote From Buddha That Reprogrammed My Mind Forever

“Every person has a dark agenda.”

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

In 11 days, I will be 43.

As you get older, people say things like, “Grow up,” “Get married,” “Start a family,” and “Get a real job.”

But deep down, what they want is,

• To submit to their worldview.
• That you stay still.
• That you obey.
• To comply with the assigned functions of your labels or social roles.
• To drown your dreams with sugar and entertainment.

In short, you become an automaton, part of the scenery.

And I don’t feel like it.

However, social pressure significantly affected me until I heard an old Buddhist fable.

The Buddha quote that reprogrammed my Mind

Long story short: in the fable, a guy insults Buddha in front of his disciples. Buddha doesn’t even flinch. And when his disciples ask him why he didn’t defend himself, Buddha tells them,

“Insults are like gifts: if you pick it up, you accept it; if you don’t pick it up, the one who insults you keeps it…